The present invention relates to the vehicle repair field and more particularly to a system for moving, positioning and manipulating a vehicle and vehicle parts on an interchangeable repair system utilizing a variety of devices coupled to the repair system.
In the vehicle repair business, a damaged or in-need-of-repair vehicle is usually brought to a vehicle body shop or the like for corrective procedures. Vehicle bodies and frames come in different shapes and sizes, from the smallest foreign made vehicles to pick-up trucks. To repair such vehicles, the vehicle repair facility must have available a repair system, usually called a xe2x80x9crackxe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9cframe pullingxe2x80x9d bench or an xe2x80x9cin-floor system.xe2x80x9d During the repair procedure, there are a variety of tools that are utilized by an operator to effect a proper repair of a vehicle. In addition to the repair system rack or bench having a force applying device mounted thereon, an operator might also require a cutting device, or a welding device or a winch or a measuring system, etc. Each of these individual devices, are typically mounted on its own carriage or set of wheels or some such other manipulating system that must be moved from one side of the vehicle repair system to another side depending on the work required. An operator must maneuver such devices from one position to another position typically over the floor of the vehicle repair facility which requires movement of other tools or apparatus which is inefficient and time consuming.
Thus there is a need for a vehicle repair system that provides for easy maneuvering of various tools and apparatus utilized during a vehicle repair procedure. There is a further need for an interchangeable repair system that allows for the interchangeability of tools and apparatus mountable on a vehicle repair rack or bench that can be moved anywhere around the circumference of the vehicle being repaired, i.e., have a 360 degree maneuver capability.
The present invention provides a vehicle interchangeable repair system and a method for using the same in a vehicle repair facility. The vehicle interchangeable repair system comprises a repair platform having a carriage mounted thereon and configured to move along the periphery of the repair platform. An accessory platform is removably coupled to the carriage and an interchangeable tool is removably mounted on the accessory platform. The vehicle interchangeable repair system allows an operator to modify the vehicle repair system to accommodate the type of vehicle and type of vehicle repair that has to be affected on such vehicle. The vehicle repair system can receive interchangeable tools as selected by an operator of the system. The carriage is configured to move along the periphery of the repair platform a full 360 degrees to a position as selected by the operator. Additional carriages can be mounted on the repair platform and support the same type of interchangeable tool or different interchangeable tools as selected and determined by the operator.
The present invention also provides the method for repairing a vehicle with a vehicle interchangeable repair system. The method comprises the steps of securing a vehicle-to a repair platform of the vehicle interchangeable repair system and selecting an interchangeable tool to perform a procedure on the vehicle. The method also includes mounting the interchangeable tool on an accessory platform and coupling the accessory platform to a carriage mounted on the repair platform. The operator moves the carriage along the periphery of the repair platform to a selected position, locks the carriage in the selected position and uses the interchangeable tool on the vehicle to affect a repair procedure. A repair procedure can include the moving, positioning, manipulating, removing and measuring the vehicle and vehicle parts. The method can also include the steps of selecting a second interchangeable tool and mounting the second interchangeable tool into a second carriage. The operator can then use the second tool on the vehicle during the repair procedure. A third and additional tool can be mounted on additional carriages or interchanging a third tool for either the first or second tool and using the third tool on the vehicle.
The present invention also provides a vehicle interchangeable repair system comprising a means for supporting and securing the vehicle, a means for carrying mounted on the means for supporting and configured to move along the periphery of the means for supporting, a means for accessorizing, removably coupled to the means for carrying and an interchangeable tool removably mounted on the means for accessorizing. The vehicle interchangeable repair system can also include a means for locking to fix the position of the means for carrying on the means for supporting. The means for carrying can also be provided with a means for positioning to fix the position of the means for accessorizing. The vehicle interchangeable repair system can also include at least one additional means for carrying mounted on the means for supporting with an additional means for accessorizing having another interchangeable tool removably mounted thereon removably coupled to such additional means for carrying.